Coconut biscuits

 

I’m writing this as the biscuits are baking in the oven – the smell of toasting coconut is driving me mad!  Why won’t they bake faster????  Coconut is one of my all time favourite baking ingredients. 

When I looked at the method for these biscuits I expected them to be like the oaty melting moments biscuits I remember making at school.  While the method is similar i.e. roll dough into ball, roll in coconut, the result is quite different.  These are not shortbread-like in texture – they are a cross between a biscuit and a macaroon (note the ‘oo’ there – I’m talking about those big flat coconut macaroons you used to find in bakeries).  Slightly chewy and satisfyingly filling.

I’m limited in my opportunity to bake with coconut as the CCB and Boy Wonder (Caked Crusader’s Brother and my nephew) hate it; so I can only use it on weekends I won’t be seeing them.  In truth, the Boy Wonder doesn’t hate coconut at all and likes anything with it in...until you tell him its coconut!  Men, huh?

The quantity below yielded 25 biscuits for me.  According to the recipe it should’ve been 32.  I have never yet got the recommended number of biscuits out of ANY recipe I’ve made.  I don’t know why – I used the teaspoon measurement, like they said but my heaped teaspoons always seem a little more heaped than anyone else’s.  Maybe you’re not meant to see it as a challenge as to how much dough you can pile up onto the small spoon?

You can decorate the biscuits by placing half a glace cherry in the centre of each biscuit before baking but, seeing as the first thing I do is pick it off, I didn’t bother!

News just in – I’ve had a decadent idea...how about spreading the flat side of the biscuit with a little raspberry or strawberry jam – a sort of biscuit version of a Madeleine?  Ever eager and dedicated to my research (ahem), I have scuttled to the kitchen and tested my theory:

Oh yes, it tastes even better than it looks!  This is the BEST way to enjoy these biccies!

Ingredients

120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g desiccated coconut – you may need a tablespoon or so extra
300g plain flour

Optional: Jam to spread on the biscuit (strongly recommended!)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Line three baking sheets with baking paper.

Place the butter, sugar and eggs into a bowl and beat together until you have a custardy looking cream.

Measure out the coconut then take four rounded tablespoons of it and place on a plate for later. 

Add the rest of the coconut to the butter mix and stir in.

Stir in the flour – you should have a firmish and sticky dough.

Take a rounded teaspoon of the dough and roll into a ball – it won’t be as sticky as you expect and will handle easily.

Roll the ball in the reserved coconut. (I found I needed an extra tablespoon of coconut to ensure all the balls got a nice even covering)

Place on a baking sheet and flatten so that you have a thick disc of approx 4cm across.

Continue to do this with the remaining dough.

Place the biscuits a little apart as they do spread on baking.  I was too cautious and put 8-9 per baking sheet; they could’ve gone closer!

Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until golden.  I turned the trays around halfway through to ensure even colour.

Leave to cool on the baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat